The Hostel Life

I have had the luck and privilege of traveling to many amazing places and not having to follow the typical tourist path. My first week in Ecuador, however, I experienced a whole new level of traveling: the Hostel Life. When I landed in Quito, I had to take care of some errands that required me to stay in the city. I found a really great, friendly hostel called Vibes and was immediately invited to a big party the second I walked through the doors. Of course, no one spoke Spanish and everyone had the money and means to travel through South America for months on end just partying and taking Spanish lessons.

The thing about hostels is that they provide you all the comforts of home including English, hot showers, and pizza. What they don’t provide you is the culture of the country where you are staying. I spoke with many of the people staying at the hostel and they “had enjoyed” Quito, but admitted to not having experienced much of the city even though they had been there for a few weeks. I’m disappointed to know that the Europeans and Australians (and the occasional traveler from the US) will go home to tell stories of hostel parties and getting lost because they don’t speak the language.

Most of my time in Quito was spent running around the city, registering my visa, and buying items I would need for the next month on the farm. I did not have time to do much sightseeing or wandering the streets, but I knew I would have plenty of time in the next 10 months.